Republic Garden & Lounge Lawsuit

If you worked as a bartender at Republic Garden and Lounge on King Street in Charleston, you may have been cheated out of wages and tips you earned. A federal lawsuit has been filed, and you can join it at no cost to you.

What the Lawsuit Alleges: 

No Tip Credit Notice

The law requires employers to clearly tell workers before paying a sub-minimum wage. Republic Garden paid $2.13/hr without ever providing required written or verbal notice making the tip credit invalid.

Illegal Tip Pool With Managers

Federal law forbids managers and supervisors from receiving employee tips. Republic Garden forced bartenders to pool tips with bar managers who held hiring and firing authority  a direct FLSA violation.

Unlawful Credit Card Tip Fee

A "CC Tip Fee" was deducted from bartenders' tip distributions before they even received their money that exceeded the actual credit card processing fee. The employer kept those deductions  which is illegal under federal law, period.

Excessive Unpaid Side Work

Bartenders were required to spend significant time on non-tipped duties stocking, cleaning, polishing glassware, sweeping  exceeding 20% of their shift while being paid only the tip-credit rate.

Unpaid "Audition" Shift

Prospective bartenders were required to work a full six-hour audition shift before receiving any job offer  with zero pay. The FLSA requires payment for all hours worked, regardless of employment status.

You May Have a Claim If You Were a Bartender at Republic Garden and Lounge if:

• Was paid $2.13/hr and never received written or verbal notice of the tip credit
• Was required to share tips with bar managers or supervisors
• Had a "CC Tip Fee" or similar house deduction taken from your tip distributions
• Spent more than 20% of your shift on non-tipped duties like stocking and cleaning while earning the tip-credit wage
• Was required to complete an unpaid audition shift before being formally hired
• Worked at Republic Garden at 462 King Street, Charleston, SC any time within the last three years